Monday evening, September 29, Caroline Weiss, Newton’s Climate Action Coordinator, gave an update at the Newton Library on the City’s draft Climate Action Plan 2026-2030. Following her presentation, a panel of representatives from various Newton climate action organizations discussed their priorities and answered questions. The event was organized by Ellie Goldberg of Mothers Out Front and A Future Without Gas Newton.
Climate Action Plan: Use less and green the rest
Newton’s 2026-2030 Climate Action Plan will be more concise than the 2020-2025 plan, and it will focus on high-impact actions the City can take. Within the next few weeks, it should be available on the City website for public feedback. The City is aiming for a December publication of the final plan, which will include an online dashboard to track the plan’s progress.
The new plan adds climate adaptation and mitigation to its goals. Its overarching goal remains carbon neutrality by 2050. Caroline Weiss gave an outline of the plan:
- Energy and Buildings
- Electrify buildings and increase energy efficiency
- Facilitate and encourage on-site renewable energy, currently 19 municipal solar projects in the planning process
- Implement ordinances and building codes, such as BERDO
- Reduce electrical use during peak demand
- Transportation and Mobility
- Reduce car dependency and vehicle miles travelled
- Prioritize infrastructure for accessible, sustainable transportation
- Increase bike share and public transportation
- Increase public EV charging stations
- Adopt a zero-emission first vehicle policy for the city fleet
- Consumption and Waste Disposal
- Promote consumption-reduction programs
- Encourage increased composting
- Improve recycling and organics collection in city buildings
- Advocate for state-level extended producer responsibility
- Establish an environmentally preferred purchasing policy
- Community Health and Resilience
- Manage stormwater
- Implement the phosphorus control plan
- Implement the tree preservation ordinance
- Plant additional city trees
- Increase forest health and carbon sequestration
- Expand green infrastructure, such as rain or pollinator gardens
- Educate residents on what they can do
Panel discussion: Environmental groups’ priorities for Newton
After Caroline Weiss spoke, a panel of local environmental groups reviewed their priorities for Newton. The panel was moderated by Rachel Boyce of CREW, and Co-leader of the Massachusetts Make Polluters Pay Campaign.
Peter Barrer of the Newton Conservators and 350Mass discussed how the Conservators would like the new Climate Action Plan to promote biodiversity, which supports both climate resiliency and carbon capture. Native plants capture more rainwater than invasive species. The 350Mass Newton Node would like the City to establish supervision over the gas pipes in the streets and adopt electric school buses. Ellie Goldberg mentioned Peter’s Newton Conservator’s article, Climate Change Hits Newton, as her inspiration for organizing the event.
Max Rome from the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) spoke about the need to address flooding where it starts by reducing impervious landscape (paving) so that stormwater can soak into the land, refill the water table, and be filtered of pollutants before it enters the river. CWRA is working with the City on a demonstration project on Cheesecake Brook, where a huge stormwater pipe is being retrofitted into a soaking chamber to reduce flooding in the area. He noted the benefits of infill development, like the Needham Street project, over exurban development, for reducing impervious surfaces.
Kathy Pillsbury of Newton for Everyone noted that new infill development in Newton has also reduced stormwater runoff because of the City’s new stormwater ordinance. The new development at Four Corners (Beacon and Walnut Streets) has reduced polluted stormwater flowing into Cold Spring Park. She added that a critical step in reducing carbon emissions from transportation is to build homes in areas that are convenient to stores, parks, schools, and other resources. Currently, many people move out to areas that require driving to get anywhere. She added that extreme weather resulting from climate change is increasing the cost of home insurance, making homeownership even more costly, and noted that housing policy is, in fact, a form of climate policy.
Alan Gordon, President of Green Newton, the Massachusetts Sierra Club, and Chair of the Newton Sustainable Materials Management Commission, spoke last. He described how Green Newton helps educate and connect residents to resources for reducing carbon emissions and advocates for local environmental issues.
